CITY LINES:
HOLLY WARD
Interview: Tagwa Moyo
Photos: Danny Astefan
In North America, there is no better time to be a sports fan than during the playoffs—something our friends overseas may not truly understand. Fall means playoff footy across all leagues, and we wanted to showcase why this time of year is so special.
Over the next few weeks, we’ll be chopping it up with players from the MLS, CPL, and NSL as they prepare for the biggest games of their respective seasons. We caught up with Vancouver Rise attacker Holly Ward as she hopes to help bring the Rise to the first ever NSL cup Final.
Tap in as we talk to Ward about her succesful first year in the pros, working on the mental side of being a pro and playing in her hometown.
DARBY: In 30 seconds, how would describe yourself?
Holly Ward: I would say that I’m someone that really likes to have fun in life, and I like to do everything to 100%. I’m being serious about that. I think it’s really important to make sure that you’re loving your life, every aspect of your life, and you give 100% to it.
Where did that kind of mindset come from?
HW: I think my parents and my siblings, our whole family kind of has an attitude about life where we want to maximize it. I just think that every person in my family is really utilizing their gifts and their talents and their passions to 100%, and so that’s what motivates me to do the same. With soccer, for example, it’s something that I have a gift in and a talent in. So I’m not just going to waste that. I want to put 100% in it to maximize my talents to see how far I can go, how much I can achieve with it.
Growing up in North America, soccer hasn’t always been the most popular sport. Were there other sports you tried?
HW: Well, I didn’t actually try that many sports. My parents always were telling me to try other sports, but I was so adamant. I really just love soccer. I played on a boys’ team when I was like four or five, and I was just really good and I loved it. So I just wanted to keep going, and my parents would be like, ‘try this, or try this,’ and I was like, ‘No, I’ll do soccer. I’ll do indoor soccer, I’ll do outdoor soccer, I’ll do soccer at the beach. I didn’t care—I was just like, ‘I like this.’
Over the next few weeks, we’ll be chopping it up with players from the MLS, CPL, and NSL as they prepare for the biggest games of their respective seasons. We caught up with Vancouver Rise attacker Holly Ward as she hopes to help bring the Rise to the first ever NSL cup Final.
Tap in as we talk to Ward about her succesful first year in the pros, working on the mental side of being a pro and playing in her hometown.
DARBY: In 30 seconds, how would describe yourself?
Holly Ward: I would say that I’m someone that really likes to have fun in life, and I like to do everything to 100%. I’m being serious about that. I think it’s really important to make sure that you’re loving your life, every aspect of your life, and you give 100% to it.
Where did that kind of mindset come from?
HW: I think my parents and my siblings, our whole family kind of has an attitude about life where we want to maximize it. I just think that every person in my family is really utilizing their gifts and their talents and their passions to 100%, and so that’s what motivates me to do the same. With soccer, for example, it’s something that I have a gift in and a talent in. So I’m not just going to waste that. I want to put 100% in it to maximize my talents to see how far I can go, how much I can achieve with it.
Growing up in North America, soccer hasn’t always been the most popular sport. Were there other sports you tried?
HW: Well, I didn’t actually try that many sports. My parents always were telling me to try other sports, but I was so adamant. I really just love soccer. I played on a boys’ team when I was like four or five, and I was just really good and I loved it. So I just wanted to keep going, and my parents would be like, ‘try this, or try this,’ and I was like, ‘No, I’ll do soccer. I’ll do indoor soccer, I’ll do outdoor soccer, I’ll do soccer at the beach. I didn’t care—I was just like, ‘I like this.’
What was it about soccer that had you hooked?
HW: I think I love how fast-paced it is and how it’s always evolving and changing. You can never play two of the same games or do the same thing. It’s always changing, and it’s a very creative sport. There’s so much creativity from every single person, every aspect of the game, which I think is fun.
You mentioned your parents. What kind of impact have they had on your journey compared to your coaches?
HW: Definitely my family’s a huge part [of it]. I think there’s a lot of coaches along the way that have also impacted that and shaped me, but I think my family has really helped me become who I am and know that soccer’s not everything. I’m a person before I’m a soccer player, and I think that’s really important. I can be a good player, but that’s nothing compared to who I am as a person.
For example, nobody else plays sports in my family, and so I think, to them, it’s really amazing that I’m playing soccer professionally, but it’s not everything. My brother just graduated law school and is becoming a lawyer—like, that’s pretty cool, right? I feel like it gives me so much perspective on all the things that you can do in the world. I think that’s something I’m learning as I grow up.
What do you like to do on your days off?
HW: I’m a people person. I can be around people forever. I barely need alone time, and I am very close with my friends and they mean a lot to me. I’ve talked about my family a lot too, and they’re the most precious people to me in the world. I pour everything into them. With soccer, when that’s not going well, I lean on other people in a good way. I’m confident in myself to get back up, but I think it’s important to have relationships in your life that you can lean on to help.
After looking up to Canadian legends like Sinclair and Desiree Scott, how does it feel knowing that there are young girls saying “I want to be the next Holly Ward”?
HW: It’s still kind of a weird concept to me because it’s my first year [as a] professional. This first year has kind of been a bit of a whirlwind—in a good way, but in an intense way at the same time. So I think, yes, it’s coming together that people are thinking that now, but I don’t view myself like that. I’m still looking up to people, and so it’s weird, in a good way, to think about people doing that to me.
HW: I think I love how fast-paced it is and how it’s always evolving and changing. You can never play two of the same games or do the same thing. It’s always changing, and it’s a very creative sport. There’s so much creativity from every single person, every aspect of the game, which I think is fun.
You mentioned your parents. What kind of impact have they had on your journey compared to your coaches?
HW: Definitely my family’s a huge part [of it]. I think there’s a lot of coaches along the way that have also impacted that and shaped me, but I think my family has really helped me become who I am and know that soccer’s not everything. I’m a person before I’m a soccer player, and I think that’s really important. I can be a good player, but that’s nothing compared to who I am as a person.
For example, nobody else plays sports in my family, and so I think, to them, it’s really amazing that I’m playing soccer professionally, but it’s not everything. My brother just graduated law school and is becoming a lawyer—like, that’s pretty cool, right? I feel like it gives me so much perspective on all the things that you can do in the world. I think that’s something I’m learning as I grow up.
What do you like to do on your days off?
HW: I’m a people person. I can be around people forever. I barely need alone time, and I am very close with my friends and they mean a lot to me. I’ve talked about my family a lot too, and they’re the most precious people to me in the world. I pour everything into them. With soccer, when that’s not going well, I lean on other people in a good way. I’m confident in myself to get back up, but I think it’s important to have relationships in your life that you can lean on to help.
After looking up to Canadian legends like Sinclair and Desiree Scott, how does it feel knowing that there are young girls saying “I want to be the next Holly Ward”?
HW: It’s still kind of a weird concept to me because it’s my first year [as a] professional. This first year has kind of been a bit of a whirlwind—in a good way, but in an intense way at the same time. So I think, yes, it’s coming together that people are thinking that now, but I don’t view myself like that. I’m still looking up to people, and so it’s weird, in a good way, to think about people doing that to me.
“I’m a person before i’m a soccer player, and I think that’s really important.”
Going into this season, did you have any particular goals in mind? Like getting called up to the National Team, or being one of the faces of the club—or did you kind of go in open-minded?
HW: Well, to be honest, I think I came out of college not in a good headspace or mindset. I didn’t have the best soccer experience in college, and I wasn’t confident in who I was, even as a person. So I think my main goal was to conquer that basically. I’ve worked a lot on my mental game, and I’m really proud of that. That’s what’s helped me accomplish all those things this year. So no, I wouldn’t say I had specific goals.
I have overarching goals that I’ve always had. Like yes, I always wanted to make the national team. And yes, I want to do all these things professionally, but I want to be confident in myself—who I am as a person before a soccer player—and I’m always working on that. It’s not something that I’ve completely mastered, but I think that’s brought me to where I am, and it’s going to keep pushing me more.
What was a moment this year that was a low point for you, and how did you get out of it?
HW: This year has been so many good things, but like I said, they’ve come really fast, and sometimes it’s hard to manage all of that—especially since it is my first year. Like, the first game at BC Place. I had no professional experience, and I was so nervous to step on the field and get that first pass.
I think that if you ask my friends, I have a very chill persona about soccer, if that’s the right way to put it. I don’t like to get super amped up about things. I like to stay the same every time. Like, before this past playoff game, I’m the same as every game. It’s a big game, but it’s just a game. I feel like I have to be in that vibe of ‘I’m just chill and I’m Holly.’ I’m hanging out with my friends before, living my normal life because I need to be in a state of calmness and also just having fun. That’s what makes me happy and I need to be happy going into that [situation].
Let’s talk about this season. With this being the first for both the NSL and the Rise, what’s it been like creating a culture from the ground up?
HW: I think professional soccer is super unpredictable, and one thing I’ve learned is you really have to—as a team and as a player—find the things that make you great, and hold onto them throughout the season. Don’t lose sight of them, because there are so many times where the game doesn’t go how you want, or you go in a slump of three or four games where you just don’t get a result and you feel so bad. But then you have to be able to still find those things that make your team special and make you special.
HW: Well, to be honest, I think I came out of college not in a good headspace or mindset. I didn’t have the best soccer experience in college, and I wasn’t confident in who I was, even as a person. So I think my main goal was to conquer that basically. I’ve worked a lot on my mental game, and I’m really proud of that. That’s what’s helped me accomplish all those things this year. So no, I wouldn’t say I had specific goals.
I have overarching goals that I’ve always had. Like yes, I always wanted to make the national team. And yes, I want to do all these things professionally, but I want to be confident in myself—who I am as a person before a soccer player—and I’m always working on that. It’s not something that I’ve completely mastered, but I think that’s brought me to where I am, and it’s going to keep pushing me more.
What was a moment this year that was a low point for you, and how did you get out of it?
HW: This year has been so many good things, but like I said, they’ve come really fast, and sometimes it’s hard to manage all of that—especially since it is my first year. Like, the first game at BC Place. I had no professional experience, and I was so nervous to step on the field and get that first pass.
I think that if you ask my friends, I have a very chill persona about soccer, if that’s the right way to put it. I don’t like to get super amped up about things. I like to stay the same every time. Like, before this past playoff game, I’m the same as every game. It’s a big game, but it’s just a game. I feel like I have to be in that vibe of ‘I’m just chill and I’m Holly.’ I’m hanging out with my friends before, living my normal life because I need to be in a state of calmness and also just having fun. That’s what makes me happy and I need to be happy going into that [situation].
Let’s talk about this season. With this being the first for both the NSL and the Rise, what’s it been like creating a culture from the ground up?
HW: I think professional soccer is super unpredictable, and one thing I’ve learned is you really have to—as a team and as a player—find the things that make you great, and hold onto them throughout the season. Don’t lose sight of them, because there are so many times where the game doesn’t go how you want, or you go in a slump of three or four games where you just don’t get a result and you feel so bad. But then you have to be able to still find those things that make your team special and make you special.
“You really have to—as a team and as a player—find the things that make you great, and hold onto them throughout the season.”
When you talk about your teammates, you call them your friends. Has it always been that kind of relationship from the start?
HW: Yeah, I mean, I think especially on this team, it was a new league and a new team, so nobody knew each other. And that’s scary, you know? Not having any groundwork. So everyone comes in, and it can be lonely. Sarah, one of my best friends on the team, she’s from Sweden, and she doesn’t know a single person here and she just moved here by herself. And so, obviously she wants to find community.
I think it takes commitment and people who are willing to learn and engage with new people. That’s such a scary thing—completely moving somewhere, not knowing anyone, and fully investing yourself into it. I think that goes for the league as a whole, but also, our team has really invested in each other as people and as players.
With both the Rise and Whitecaps making playoff runs, it definitely feels like there’s a buzz in the city right now. I was at the game last night, and it was my first time ever at Swangard. The energy was just crazy. How does it feel to be a part of that?
HW: It’s so fun, right? I think we have the best fans in the league, no doubt. Like, I don’t know if you’ve been to any other games, but I think our fans are pretty cool. They’re so dedicated. Everyone I know that has come to the games, they’re like, “It’s so fun!” Everyone wants to come back [because] It’s such a fun environment. People are so happy to be there. You can just get this vibe that it was needed, you know? It feels like a void was filled.
You’re headed to Ottawa next, and if you win that game, you’re going to the NSL Final. As someone from Vancouver, what would it mean to bring back a championship to this city?
HW: It would literally mean everything. That’s what we’ve been working toward all season. It feels a lot like that moment at BC Place—when this whole new thing was just beginning, and we’d accomplished something special. Now it’s coming to an end, and it would be pretty amazing to come home with a trophy. We played the first game at BC Place, we kicked off the league and we want to end it, you know? We want to end it with a trophy. And it’d be pretty cool for me because I’m from Vancouver.
HW: Yeah, I mean, I think especially on this team, it was a new league and a new team, so nobody knew each other. And that’s scary, you know? Not having any groundwork. So everyone comes in, and it can be lonely. Sarah, one of my best friends on the team, she’s from Sweden, and she doesn’t know a single person here and she just moved here by herself. And so, obviously she wants to find community.
I think it takes commitment and people who are willing to learn and engage with new people. That’s such a scary thing—completely moving somewhere, not knowing anyone, and fully investing yourself into it. I think that goes for the league as a whole, but also, our team has really invested in each other as people and as players.
With both the Rise and Whitecaps making playoff runs, it definitely feels like there’s a buzz in the city right now. I was at the game last night, and it was my first time ever at Swangard. The energy was just crazy. How does it feel to be a part of that?
HW: It’s so fun, right? I think we have the best fans in the league, no doubt. Like, I don’t know if you’ve been to any other games, but I think our fans are pretty cool. They’re so dedicated. Everyone I know that has come to the games, they’re like, “It’s so fun!” Everyone wants to come back [because] It’s such a fun environment. People are so happy to be there. You can just get this vibe that it was needed, you know? It feels like a void was filled.
You’re headed to Ottawa next, and if you win that game, you’re going to the NSL Final. As someone from Vancouver, what would it mean to bring back a championship to this city?
HW: It would literally mean everything. That’s what we’ve been working toward all season. It feels a lot like that moment at BC Place—when this whole new thing was just beginning, and we’d accomplished something special. Now it’s coming to an end, and it would be pretty amazing to come home with a trophy. We played the first game at BC Place, we kicked off the league and we want to end it, you know? We want to end it with a trophy. And it’d be pretty cool for me because I’m from Vancouver.